The Unlikely Cinderella
by PrincessofBadLuck
Summary: Yuffie's father wants to remarry, but there's one problem; the woman is EVIL. So what's a ninja princess to do? Run off and steal materia of course! However, when she is caught stealing from the Prince of Midgar, things get ugly.
1. Resolve

**Hi, everyone! I'm back with more Yuffentine! Sorry for the absence, but I'm a busy college student! Thankfully, midterms are almost over, which means I have some free time coming my way! Not a LOT per say, but enough to maybe write a short chaptered fic. This is a Cinderella Yuffentine so hope you guys like it!**

**P.S. I got Yuffie's mom's name from .com which cites its sources from the, "Creation Materials in the **_**Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega**_** guide," it also says she died of illness BEFORE the Wutai War, so that's why I'm not having her get killed off in the war.**

The Empress of Wutai was dying. Kasumi lay on her death bed beside her young daughter, Yuffie. The girl's cheeks were wet with tears. She was well aware that this would be the last time she'd see her mother. The Wutainese didn't hide death from their children like some Gaians were prone to do. Her husband Godo had already spent the whole morning with his dear wife and had said his goodbyes to her when he was pulled away to a council meeting; Shinra was getting increasingly volatile and Wutai feared there could be a war on their hands.

Kasumi's breathing was shallow and strained as she tried to sit up and hold her daughter one last time.

"Yuffie, come here, let me hold you."

The girl hurried into her mother's arms, silent tears running down her face. The Empress closed her eyes and tried to decide what words she'd leave her daughter with before she departed for the Lifestream. When she opened them, she started to wipe Yuffie's tears away,

"Now Yuffie," she began, "I want you to stop crying."

The young princess looked up at her,

"But mom! You're dying and I'll never see you again and-"

"Yuffie Kisaragi! Do not interrupt me! What have your father and I told you about respecting your elders?"

Kasumi snapped sharply. Seeing her daughter lower her head in shame, she continued gently,

"Now Yuffie, please listen, this is important."

She hugged her, "I'm not mad at you, but I want you to understand, that death visits all of us."

She coughed and Yuffie clung to her even more tightly.

"Even though I may be gone, I'll never leave you. The only way I'll ever truly be gone, is if you forget me."

Yuffie shook her head violently and Kasumi smiled,

"I know you'll never forget me, which is why you shouldn't cry."

She paused trying to decide which parting words of wisdom to give.

"I want you to be strong, become Wutai's greatest warrior like I know you can be. You are just as good as any man, do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Do not cry again when death visits you or someone you love, because true death only happens when you forget them. If your father remarries…just make sure he is happy and his wife is a good woman. But," she said her eyes blazing, "Do not let her or her children take the throne from you. Wutai is your birthright as the first-born to the Emperor and no one, not even a son born to your father can take it from you."

Kasumi's eyes started to get heavy and she felt death's vise-like grip descend upon her.

"I must leave you now Yuffie, but remember, you are my White Rose of Wutai, I love you, be strong." And with those dying words, the Empress Kasumi returned to the Lifestream.

**Short I know, but I have big plans for this story! And I didn't have the time to write them out, but I can see how I'm going to have everything work out. I saw this so clearly in my head when I wrote this scene, just like in **_**Legend of the White Rose**_**, so I am really excited! I'm loving Yuffentine with a fairy tale twist! Ok so what I want to write about next is the following:**

**Yuffie meets the evil soon to be step-mother. Unlike other versions she doesn't have daughters, BUT she hopes that when she marries Godo she'll give him an heir and take the throne from Yuffie. Yuffie and her dad have a huge fight about it and ultimately Yuffie leaves Wutai because she can't stand her dad's fiancé and the condition of Wutai. Then Godo sees the evil in his fiancé when Yuffie leaves and doesn't marry her. But he's unable to tell Yuffie this, because she's all other the world collecting materia. Soon Yuffie hears about a ball for the Prince of Midgar (three guesses on who it is) that all the women in the land are invited to attend. She doesn't care much for catching the prince's eye so much as the gifts for him she can steal. So she attends the ball and…you'll have to read and see! Like the concept though? Any other suggestions or plot ideas? I'd love to hear them! If I use one of them I'll dedicate a chapter to you. Review? Please? **


	2. The Runaway

_This chapter is dedicated to orangetamaki, who gave me a great story idea! Thanks so much!_

The wind raced through her hair as she ran through the hilly slopes of Da Chao. Jumping onto the Da Chao statue, the girl wiped sweat off her brow. She let out a satisfied huff; she'd just run two miles through mountainous terrain filled with monsters. Swinging her shuriken in an arc above her head, she began to practice with it. The Conformer sang through the air as she caught and released it, twirling away from imaginary enemies all the while; she'd cleared any actual enemies out during her run.

In mid-step she heard a noise and prepared to throw her shuriken, but stopped when she heard,

"Yuffie! Don't you throw that shuriken at me!"

The girl in question dropped her arm and grinned unabashedly,

"Oh, hehe sorry Chekov."

Her protector and teacher of many years glared in mock anger at the princess,

"Now, before you were about to take off my head, I was going to tell you dinner will be ready in an hour, so you should head home and wash up before then."

The girl nodded and hurried back to the pagoda; she'd never be one to miss a meal.

As she stepped out out the shower, she was shocked to see her dad sitting on her bed waiting for her. Usually, he sent someone for her and she waited for him, not the other way around. It must be big news, she mused to herself.

"So,"

Yuffie said as she towel-dried her hair,

"What are you doing here dad?"

Her father looked at her solemnly, before breaking into the biggest grin she'd seen him wear; it'd been years, the years her mother had been alive, that he smiled like that. Instantly, without words, she knew that he had found someone new. Of this, she wasn't surprised, but more intrigued than anything else. She hadn't noticed him going on dates or seeing anyone, but then again, she berated herself, she hadn't spent much time with her dad lately.

The woman he met, was a few years younger than him, 32 compared to his 37. She was very much the typical embodiment of a Wutai woman-beautiful, graceful, with a meek, modest spirit. At least, this was the image she portrayed to the world. Her name, was Ayane and though she used the guise of a humble Wutaian woman, underneath that mask was the ugly truth. She was nothing more than a power hungry manipulator.

This was made abundantly clear to Yuffie, when she came to dinner one night. Her father had to cut his dinner short, due to an emergency council meeting. The moment he and any other servant were out of sight and ear-shot, she said to Yuffie viciously,

"He is mine."

Seeing her face fall from the serene expression it was in all night startled Yuffie.

"e-Excuse me?" she asked shocked.

The harpy smiled aggressively, "You heard me, and once we're married, I'll have him throw you out of the pagoda. Then when I have his child, I will rule the throne."

This princess couldn't believe what she was hearing, this woman was EVIL! She was just as bad as those hags in the fairy tales!

"I won't let you," she said defiantly,

"I'll tell my dad and you'll be history!"

But try as the princess might to convince her father, it was in vain. Wicked Ayane, had poisoned his mind with lies about his daughter and his love for the woman blinded him from the truth. With the wedding looming ever closer, Yuffie's heart sank. There was nothing left for her in this broken country. It was her wish to bring her home back to the glory it saw before its defeat from the kingdom of Midgar. What little hope she had for its eventual restoration was gone, now that Ayane and her father were to be wed. Her father, her own flesh and blood would not believe her and with his fiance's urging, she would be thrown out of her life-long home. So, she made the decision to walk from her home willingly instead of being forced out of it. With a heavy heart, the sixteen year old princess packed all that she would need to travel around Gaia and left her homeland the eve of her father's wedding.

It was when the emperor discovered that his only child had run away, that he finally opened his eyes. For now, he could see the evil in his fiance that his daughter had tried to warn him about all along. He instead broke off their engagement and began a search for the princess. But it was in vain, for she was gone, with no trace of where she was headed. God suspected, that even she was not sure. She'd never been out of Wutai, but she did have an extensive knowledge of outdoor survival due to being a highly accomplished shinobi and had a classical education because of her birth. She would know Gaia's geography and its different cities. He knew his ninja would be fine, but just hoped for her return someday.

"Hey Barrett, you hear 'bout what's going on with the emperor?" said one Cid Highwind.

As a commercial pilot, he made frequent trips to Wutai to deliver supplies. Currently, the two men were sitting in Turtle's Paradise after a day of work. Barrett inclined his head,

"Nah, man I've only been here a few days and I've been drilling for oil most of that time."

He took a sip from his drink,

"So what have I missed?"

Cid cleared his throat, "Apparently, the emperor broke off his engagement."

Barrett pounded the table, "No shit! Wasn't the wedding supposed to happen soon?"

His friend nodded, "Yeah, and he canceled it the day of the wedding."

The man whistled, "So what happened? I thought the guy was happy with that lady...Ayane right?"

"Well, guess she wasn't all she was cracked up to be. Rumors around the pagoda say she was out for the throne." Cid said.

"Hmmp," Barrett snorted, "Guess it's tough being the emperor."

"It gets worse," Cid drawled, "Turns out his daughter knew all along and he wouldn't listen to her. So she ran away."

Barrett's eyes widened, "The princess RAN AWAY? Isn't there some sort of reward out there? I thought there would be search parties everywhere!"

Cid shook his head, "Have you been watching the news buddy? There have been. They can't find her. She's one of the best ninjas the country has, if she doesn't want to be found, they won't be able to find her."

Yuffie stared at the city she'd finally made it to. After exploring the planet for months she'd made it here at last. Midgar. The capital of the Kingdom of Midgar. The kingdom responsible for the fall of her country and the cause for the oppression they still faced. But she had to see it. She had to know what her enemy looked like, what their home was like. Because fighting them wasn't an option anymore; they were too powerful and her home too weak to stand a chance against them. She wasn't sure why she still came here, even when she knew she and her country couldn't really do anything against this kingdom. But a small part of her, still thought there was hope. Maybe not to defeat Midgar, but to form a compromise. Of course, being prideful was part of her and her country men's nature, so she wouldn't dare voice this hope aloud. However, what hope was left when they couldn't fight their enemy outright? A large crowd started to gather around a man standing in the center of it. Her eyes followed the commotion, what could it be, she thought as she saw the man begin to speak,

"Citizens of Midgar! As the adviser to King Shinra, I Reeve Tuesti, have a very important announcement, from the king himself to make."

Yuffie's interest was piqued, an announcement? About what?

"This is addressed to all the young women of Gaia," Reeve continued, "that there will be a birthday ball held in honor of the prince!"

She heard many girls and women in the crowd sigh dreamily. Internally she rolled her eyes, seriously, she thought, these women need to get a grip.

"All women are welcome to come and it gets better, the one who catches the eyes of the prince will win his hand in marriage!"

The crowd erupted in shouts of joy and jubilation. Reeve had to call out several times before order could be restored.

"There is one final note!" he called out among the screaming or fainting women, "Since it is a birthday ball, guests must arrive with a gift and be dressed accordingly, if one is not wearing a gown, she will not be admitted and since it is a masquerade, masks are required."

He made a gesture,

"That is all, the ball will take place a week from now."

Suddenly, Yuffie broke out into a wicked grin. Now she knew how to get back at the Kingdom of Midgar. This was the opportunity she had been waiting for. She swept off through the streets of the city; she had preparations to make.

_I'm back! Haha finals are almost over and I can just taste Winter Break around the corner! Special thanks to orangetamaki, who gave me an AWESOME idea for the story! Your review gave me such a great idea and I'm so happy because of it! See everyone? Review and give me a good idea and I will definitely mention and thank you! Heck even if I don't get a blast of inspiration from you, I'm happy you wrote in! Of course there's a shout out to my bestie, paopufruit1023 and my good friend cloud9strife. And I cannot forget some of my most faithful readers who have stuck with me since the beginning, Azure Sora and XlittlexninjaX24. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Hope you enjoy!_


	3. Preparations

_**Alright I'm finally back! Sorry for the delay, but with school and personal issues on top of the death of one of my wonderful swim teammates of 3 years (Rest in peace Dennis)I have just been so preoccupied. I've also had writer's block, which didn't help. Expect sporadic updates at best. I really want to finish this story. But it'll take time. Hope I don't lose my fans! Thank you for reading! =]**_

A week had passed since the announcement of the prince's ball. Women throughout the kingdom and Gaia were all a flutter with excitement. They had spent a week getting dresses made for them, primping, practicing their curtsey, and fantasizing about the prince. Most would be found gossiping among themselves in a fit of excitement, anticipating the ball. There was one young woman however, that was not among them. Sure, she was excited about the ball. But it was for a different reason.

The preparations had been made. She'd contacted their agent from the inside of the kingdom. He'd taken care of all the details she needed covered from within the castle. The plans were laid. The escape routes long since memorized and practiced, with alternate paths also covered and rehearsed. Her inside man was good. He'd gotten her into the castle in the dead of the night and allowed her to familiarize herself with it. All without being recognized or hindered. Friends in high places came in handy. She knew exactly what, and how much she would take.

Only the best and rarest treasures that had the most value; both monetary and sentimental. The royal tiara belonging to the would-be princess of Shinra, the famed "WEAPONS," which were actually just decorative items, made of emerald, ruby, pearl, diamond, sapphire, onyx and jade. The emerald staff, ruby claw, coral comb, diamond lance, sapphire sword, onyx gun and jade shuriken. None of these weapons, actually functioned as anything more than a display piece, but they were the crown jewels so to speak, of the kingdom of Shinra. Yuffie bristled at the thought; 'the stolen crown jewels,' she amended. Each and every one of the treasures had originally belonged to another kingdom that had fallen to the empire that was Shinra. The emerald staff was stolen from the City of the Ancients, a kingdom that was long destroyed by Shinra. The ruby claw, taken from Cosmo Canyon, where it was made as a tribute to the canyon's protector, who was beaten and imprisoned by the cruel kingdom. The pearl comb, made for the aforementioned guardian as a gift, made by the kingdom of Costa Del Sol. The diamond lance, taken from the peaceful people of Rocket Town, who wanted nothing more than a piece to show the mastery of their jewel workers. The sapphire sword, crafted by Icicle Inn's best artisans and forcefully taken from them. The onyx gun, made by both a master of guns and stone, removed after the "death," of it's talented creator hailing from Niebelheim. And finally, the jade shuriken, snatched from Wutai's very own throne room.

The day of the ball had arrived, and all the young maidens throughout the land gathered in Midgar. Hopes were high that one girl would be chosen by the prince to be wed. However, there was one woman among them, that was not concerned with the prince or being wed. That would be the Princess, Yuffie Kisaragi.

"I don't want a ball." Rufus told his father flatly.

He sighed, "I feel like I'm picking a chicken at the market place! All those women will do is squabble for my attention."

King Shinra looked levelly at his son,

"That's is to be expected, you are the next ruler of the kingdom and most of the Planet. Furthermore,"

he continued, "One of those women may be of value to us. We have most of the Planet under our control, but Wutai still continues to resist us, despite the oppression we've subjected them to. News of their princess's disappearance has already spread, and if we're lucky, she'll be in attendance."

His son scoffed, "Her? Our intelligence has come back with reports of this princess being a ninja and notorious thief. The last thing she'll be doing is trying to win my hand in marriage; if anything, she'll try to either kill me or loot the royal treasury."

His father smiled maliciously, "That's what I'm counting on."

**Ahh I just didn't have time to write more, but I really liked this short piece and wanted to give you guys a little something after such a long absence. Also, it's calming to post something fun and creative like this; right now I want to throw a snap kick at this jerk who wasted my time and sent me on a wild goose chase from my school's Registrar's Office. Actually I'd prefer to use a move the Marines use to break a person's leg, but I digress... Enjoy!**

**Ok, I actually had most of this chapter typed up a while back, but didn't really know where to go with it. Now I do for sure, but unfortunately, school's starting this week so that doesn't really give me much time to write. Sigh. **


	4. Some Unexpected Events

**Wow, can't believe it's been so long since I updated this! For awhile I thought I was going to abandon it; lots of problem cropping up in my life, lack of interest and inspiration etc. But then I got a second artistic wind so to speak, and a year later, here we are! If you're still following this, thank you, and hope you enjoy! **

Tseng shifted uneasily as he stood guard over the ball's guests. He couldn't help it, the seasoned Turk felt as if something was amiss. He'd given his princess; yes, HIS princess, (despite what his countrymen believed, he was still loyal to the Emperor's throne) all the floor plans of Shinra castle. All the necessary preparations had been made on Yuffie's part. She'd memorized the castle's layout, exits, guard schedule, and everything else that'd aid in her quest to steal the kingdom's fabled WEAPONS. His anxiety was even felt by a fellow on duty Turk, who remarked, " Why do you seem so nervous Tseng? It's unlike you to bat an eye even in the most tense situations, and this is just routine guard duty."

He turned to look at his superior,

"Or is it? There must be something more to tonight than just a marriage ball for the prince if it's got you this wound up."

Tseng eyed the perceptive man coolly,

"Vincent, I-"

"Whoops, sorry about that!"

A cheerful voice exclaimed. The two men turned toward the interloper in an emerald gown. Her shiny cocoa hair glittered in the light, accented with jade hairpins. She faced Vincent as she dabbed lightly at his suit, which she'd just spilled wine on, all the while apologizing.

"Clumsy me, I'm sorry about that,"

she said as her fingers glided over this soaked suit. Tseng smirked internally at her very intentional "accident" and her exploitation of it to flirt and steal from her unfortunate victim. Vincent was a serious, soft-spoken Turk with plenty of promise, but he was a blushing school boy around women. As such, he didn't even notice her swipe his Cerberus tie clip as she withdrew her napkin, apologizing once more before throwing a sultry smile and playful wink at him over her shoulder as she went. Tseng spared the young man a chuckle as he glanced at his still pink cheeks.

Yuffie grinned beneath her Chesire cat mask as she continued on her way; that Turk was pretty cute! She had fun making him blush as she ran her fingers over his chiseled form. Smugly, she fingered the clip before pocketing it in her gown. It was a nice little bonus in addition to helping Tseng keep his cover. Her thoughts turned more somber when thinking of the man who'd endured the hatred of his people when he became a secret agent for Wutai within Shinra. He lost much when he took the job, and put himself at great risk to serve his land. She was glad to have been there to ensure his sacrifices weren't in vain. Still though, she wondered what was bothering the man. Something was amiss, and Yuffie weighed her options, wondering whether or not it was better to reconsider her plans for tonight. She'd felt the creeping feeling of unease in the air as well, and she'd been trained to never doubt her instincts. Deciding to proceed with caution, and bail if things got too hairy, she continued on.

Both she and Tseng were right to be wary, for there was more afoot that night than either could have anticipated. The King had laid a trap for the wily princess and had plans of his own for her. Unfortunately for him, even the best laid plans can go awry, especially when a group called AVALANCE gets involved...

An explosion rocked the castle as Yuffie crept toward the vault that held the WEAPONS in the far wing of the building. Blending into the shadows as a troop of guards ran by her, she was about to proceed before being dragged back into the alcove she'd hidden in.

'Darn,' she thought, 'looks like I have a stalker.' She tisked at her own carelessness for not noticing, as she flipped her attacker over her shoulder. With a knee on his stomach and a kunai at his throat, she smiled sunnily at him,  
"Gee Vince, you sure know how to keep a girl interested!"

Before he could react, she finished with,

"Just for that, I'll give you this clip back, before I put you to sleep, sound good?"

Followed by a knockout blow to the head with the hilt of her kunai. Rising, she continued down the wing to the vault's entrance, subduing the remaining guards, and getting what she came for. Everything was going smoothly until she came back toward Vincent's prone body and noticed one of the WEAPONS glowing and growing hot. She pulled it out of the bag she'd stored them in and watched in amazement as the glow intensified and a healing green aura of magic engulfed Vincent. He stood up frowning, seeing the traces of healing magic on him, but before he could ask about her seemingly strange actions, a shout sounded throughout the hall.

"You traitor Turk!"

The King bellowed, having seen Yuffie appear to have healed him,  
"I knew I had to have had an inside source out me! No one else would've known about the change in the WEAPONS' location! Open fire!"

Vincent shot the ninja an incredulous look before following on her heels, dodging bullets in the process.

After escaping out of a hidden passageway to the countryside, he rounded on her,

"Why did you heal me, and what do you plan to do with those WEAPONS? Also, do you have any idea how you've ruined my life?! I'm a hunted man now, all because you stole my favorite tie clip!"

She threw her hands up in exasperation,

"I didn't, it was this gun!"

she exclaimed as she thrust the still glowing item into his hands. He yelped in surprise as it made contact with his fingers in a bright flash of light. When the pair recovered from it, they stared at the WEAPON in disbelief. It had turned into a real gun! No longer was it a mere figure carved out of stone. It still held some onyx within the wood inlay on the handle, but it was now a fully functional weapon.

"Well, that sure was something!"

The two turned toward the voice's source, a grinning man with a gun attached to his arm. Behind him, a blonde swordsman and brunette martial artist stood alert. All the while, the remaining WEAPONS in Yuffie's bag began to glow.


End file.
